The direction of travel in UK health and safety (H&S) law is geared towards public and personal accountability, particularly for organisations and their directors. Managing H&S is now firmly an issue for the Board.
As a director or senior manager of a business, ensuring the safety and well-being of employees and other relevant persons is not only an ethical responsibility but also a legal requirement. As well as the immediate risk of harm, any Board that fails to proactively address H&S issues may risk severe reputational damage and significant penalties not only for the business, but also for themselves as individuals.
Directors’ H&S concerns are evolving as well as growing as businesses have been required to deal with the new H&S risks which accompanied the Covid-19 pandemic and now operate in a world with an increased focus on the mental health and wellbeing of employees. As the landscape of H&S risk changes, directors and senior managers of businesses are required to be responsive to these risks so that they can proactively deal with them.